Chapter 52: Water 7!

Grand Line – Water 7, the City on the Water

In the bustling inner city of Water 7, a restaurant thrummed with the chatter of locals and travelers alike. Tucked away in a shadowy corner, Edie sat quietly, savoring the city's culinary specialties. His eyes, though focused on his meal, were far away, his thoughts consumed by something much more significant.

"Misstep," he muttered to himself. "Flying doesn't drain much Haki, but the recovery rate can't keep up. It was tough getting here, and flying back to the hive in one go might be too much."

Edie reflected on his abilities. He had pushed himself to the limit during his recent experiments, and by his own estimation, his Haki's explosive power hovered around the 3 billion mark. An impressive number, considering his lack of formal training. Most of his time was spent in the lab, dissecting and understanding the secrets of the world rather than honing physical skills.

Yet, his natural talent for learning was undeniable. To have achieved such strength with so little effort was nothing short of miraculous.

Still, Edie couldn't help but feel that the way Haki was practiced in this world was archaic. The techniques were outdated, and the pace of development was too slow.

Haki shouldn't be cultivated like this anymore.

Back in the Hive, the "Earthly Branches" like Chenlong had spent two years in the cloning warehouse, and they emerged with Haki levels in the hundreds of billions. Even Shenhou, the weakest among them, had surpassed the 100 billion threshold. This was the sheer power of scientific advancement. Two years in that cloning chamber, absorbing the P particles in the specially designed filling fluid, and they were produced with astronomical Haki reserves.

Cultivation? Edie smirked inwardly. What is that anymore?

Hundreds of billions of Haki, straight out of the factory.

This was the new world of science—where strength wasn't earned through years of training but engineered, manufactured, and perfected in a lab. The fact that this breakthrough had occurred by accident made it all the more astonishing. Edie hadn't known about the existence of P particles when he developed the cloning chamber's filling fluid, yet it turned out to be the secret to their explosive growth.

As Edie continued his meal, he turned his thoughts to his own limitations. He had plenty of power, but not nearly enough by comparison to the engineered superhumans he had created. Could he also soak in the cloning fluid for two years and achieve the same results?

There was a flaw in that plan, though. The Earthly Branches were born in the cloning warehouse, their souls and bodies growing together in a perfectly controlled environment. Young, pure souls could absorb the P particles with remarkable efficiency. An ordinary adult, however, wouldn't see the same results, no matter how long they soaked in the fluid.

But I'm not ordinary, Edie thought, a calculating gleam in his eye. I have the power of the Soul-Soul Fruit.

With that ability, he could refine the process. By developing a new version of the filling fluid, tailored specifically for him, and using the Soul-Soul Fruit to guide the absorption, Edie could push his Haki to its absolute upper limits in one swift stroke.

And after I reach my upper limit? he pondered. That was the one mystery still eluding him—the next step once he reached his peak. But Edie was nothing if not resourceful. The answer would reveal itself in time.

As the meal came to an end, Edie wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up. His thoughts had clarified over dinner, and now he knew his path forward.

This is the power of science, he mused, stepping out of the restaurant and into the streets of Water 7. And I'll make it my own.

The full moon bathed Water 7 in a silver glow, making the city on the water look even more enchanting than usual. Edie stood on top of a thirty-story building, having effortlessly leaped up with a light jump. Gazing down at the bustling city below, he felt a strange sense of calm wash over him.

The sea train hasn't been built yet. This place still lags behind the future grandeur it will reach, he mused.

Edie's mind drifted to the genius who would soon bring this innovation to life—Tom, a Fishman who not only built the Pirate King Roger's ship but also developed the Sea Train, a groundbreaking invention that would revolutionize Water 7.

However, the world government had other plans for Tom. After Roger's execution, they sought the shipwright's life, not because of his involvement with the Pirate King, but because of the blueprints for the Ancient Weapon Pluton that Tom held. Tom, clever and resourceful, bought himself time by promising the World Government he'd create a train that could traverse the seas.

In this timeline, it's only 1505. Tom is probably still hard at work on the project, Edie thought. The first sea train won't be completed for another seven years, in 1512.

Edie sighed as he leaned against the railing. "Such a talented person. It would be a shame if he were to die."

He had a soft spot for people of genius. Even someone like Caesar Clown, a villain by most definitions, was someone Edie would accept, as long as he could guide their potential in the right direction.

As Edie's thoughts lingered on the future, the door to the rooftop creaked open. A man holding a whale oil lamp stepped out, his face startled as he spotted Edie.

"Hey, what are you still doing here?" the man asked, his voice rising in alarm.

Edie glanced at him with mild curiosity. "What's the problem?"

"You're not from around here, are you? Idiot, the [Aqua Laguna] is coming soon! If you stay up here, you'll be swept away! Hurry and come with me to take refuge!" The man barked, clearly agitated by Edie's indifference.

"Oh, a tsunami tonight?" Edie replied, his voice calm. "Thanks for the heads-up."

Aqua Laguna, the annual tsunami, was known to the residents of Water 7 as the "God of Water." Every year, it devastated the city, and only those who took proper precautions survived its wrath.

Edie jumped off the railing and casually approached the man. "No wonder the restaurant was so empty earlier, and the owner looked like he was in a hurry to leave."

The man clicked his tongue in frustration. "Tourists like you are always too bold for your own good. You think being up here will keep you safe? When those waves hit, nothing will be left standing—not even this building! You would've been swept to your death if I hadn't checked this place!"

Edie chuckled. "Hahaha, thanks for saving me then. By the way, do you know where a shipwright named Tom lives?"

The man's face soured at the mention of Tom. "Tom? That old shipbuilder's a sinner to the World Government. It's best you steer clear of him. But, if you must know, he's usually at his studio over in the outer city."

He pointed out of a nearby window, giving Edie a vague direction. "You should wait until tomorrow, though. Now's not the time to be wandering around."

The man turned, ready to head downstairs, but when he glanced back, Edie was gone—vanished as if he had never been there.

Panic rose in the man's chest, his face paling. "Holy crap, was I just talking to a gangster?"

He hurried down the stairs, his steps quick and anxious, eager to put as much distance between himself and that strange encounter as possible.

The night sky above Water 7 was painted in shades of deep blue, and the cold wind swept through the city, rustling the waters below. Edie stood high above the capital, hands tucked casually into the pockets of his white coat, his figure silhouetted against the shimmering moonlight. The wind tugged at his coat as he released a wave of ghost particles into the direction the man had pointed earlier.

"Huh? A Marine warship?" Edie's brows furrowed in mild surprise. He hadn't expected to stumble across the Marines instead of finding Tom.

Not only that, but the data returned by the P particles indicated that one individual on the ship had an energy level reaching the billions. "An Admiral?" Edie mused, intrigued by the presence.

On the warship below, the crew was navigating through the turbulent waters, using the rising water channels of Water 7 to take refuge from the impending Aqua Laguna. A major on board removed his soaked cloak of justice, wringing out the water while addressing his superior.

"Admiral Akainu, sir, the headquarters sent a communication earlier. The Red Hair Pirates we've been pursuing don't seem to be following this magnetic route. What are your orders?"

The Red Hair Pirates had become an infamous group in recent years, led by the formidable Red Hair Shanks, once a trainee on Gol D. Roger's ship. With a bounty of 665 million, Shanks and his crew were a growing threat to the World Government.

Akainu, ever cold and calculating, let out a displeased grunt. "Once the tsunami passes, resume the pursuit immediately. We cannot allow any of them to reach the New World."

"Yes, sir!" the major responded, standing at attention.

Suddenly, a voice echoed from above, catching everyone on board off guard. "Akainu Sakazuki?"

"Who goes there!?" The major jerked his head upward, his eyes wide with shock. The entire ship's crew tensed, their hands reaching for their weapons.

Sakazuki's sharp gaze followed suit, his pupils narrowing as disbelief flickered across his face. How had someone approached them unnoticed? It was nearly impossible for anyone to close the distance without him detecting them.

Up above, standing at the very edge of the rising waterway, Edie calmly surveyed the warship, his white coat fluttering in the wind. He looked down at Akainu with a faint smile.

Sakazuki's thoughts raced. This man—Edie? Here? More alarming was that his Observation Haki hadn't sensed Edie's approach. Even now, while the man stood only meters away, Sakazuki couldn't "see" him with his haki.

It was as though Edie existed in another dimension entirely, unreachable by normal means.

"Are you using your Haki to probe me?" Edie chuckled, noticing Akainu's bewilderment. "Don't bother. I've made sure it won't work."

Edie understood the principles of Observation Haki all too well. By controlling the flow of P particles, he could prevent them from returning to Akainu's soul, effectively rendering himself invisible to the Admiral's haki. For someone like Akainu, this was an anomaly—something akin to a miracle.

Akainu's face darkened. "Why are you here?" he growled.

"Do I need to report to the Marines wherever I decide to travel?" Edie replied, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"What are you doing in Paradise?" Akainu demanded, referring to the section of the Grand Line they were in.

"Just traveling," Edie answered casually, as though this encounter was nothing more than a chance meeting between old friends.

The warship, meanwhile, had successfully navigated through the rising waterway, entering the safety of the inner city. But the tension in the air between the two was palpable.

Akainu sneered, his patience wearing thin. With a swift motion, he leaped into the air, his right arm transforming into molten lava. "Travel? Don't make me laugh!" he roared, launching a lava-infused punch toward Edie.

Edie, unfazed by the Admiral's attack, calmly raised his index finger. "You're a Logia user, huh? Perfect. Let's see how you handle this." Black lightning crackled around his fingertip, quickly gathering into a concentrated point.

"1 Billion: Black Flash!" Edie whispered.

In an instant, a thick, dark beam of energy erupted from his finger, swallowing the sky with its sheer force. The beam shot across Water 7, hundreds of meters wide, cutting through the night like a blade of darkness. The sheer power of the attack rippled through the air, shaking the very foundation of the city.

For a moment, the night was lit not by the moon but by the intense energy that engulfed everything in its path.